Tories can oppose windfarms despite party policy

Conservative MPs are "perfectly at liberty" to oppose windfarms in their constituencies, despite the party's leadership demanding a greater use of renewable energy, the party said today.

Shadow environment secretary Peter Ainsworth faced accusations in the Commons that his party could not be taken seriously on the environment when its MPs head up campaigns against turbines in their areas.

But Mr Ainsworth insisted: "Individual members of parliament have a duty to represent their constituents' interests where they are affected by infrastructure projects of any kind."

"Conservative members are perfectly at liberty to take a view about proposals in their own constituencies. It doesn't actually affect Conservative party policy."

Tory leader David Cameron has planned to build a wind turbine on the roof of his Notting Hill home as part of his on-going public commitment to the environment.

But Mr Ainsworth's statement today means Tory MPs nationally will be expected to back Mr Cameron's green agenda while being free to block practical attempts to tackle climate change in their constituency.

During a Commons debate on climate change, Labour's David Taylor (North West Leicestershire) told Mr Ainsworth: "Many people do have doubts about the policies of your party not least because when renewable developments are proposed in particular localities the first to jump into the breach against such proposals are Conservative politicians representing those areas."

"How can we treat seriously the commitments you are making from the front bench?"

"If we are not careful the best symbol for your party would be a disconnected wind turbine to show that what is on offer is just empty spin."

But Mr Ainsworth insisted the problem of how local MPs respond to opposition to a wind farm more often affects the Tories and the Liberal Democrats.

"Wind turbines tend to be put up in rural areas with hills and tend to be on the whole more represented by our parties than by the Labour party."

He went on: "It's absolutely essential that the wind energy industry is sensitive to landscape and does not put proposals in places where there is going to be a very clear impact on landscape or biodiversity or any other environmental issue."

"One of the arguments we have had with the way support for renewable (energy) is currently structured is that it has tended to put money in large onshore wind farms which are naturally controversial in the areas they are proposed."

"That is not helpful in the long-run to securing renewable energy in this country."